Swanson was originally drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the 2012 MLB Draft, but ultimately decided to go to Vanderbilt. His 2014 College World Series performance earned him most valuable player honors and was a prelude to a Commodores national championship run in 2015. In turn, his decision not only paid off in a college championship, but it also helped earn him the distinction of becoming the number one overall pick in the 2015 MLB Draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Georgia native was traded less than a year later to his hometown team, the Atlanta Braves. In 2019, Swanson set a career-high with 17 home runs and 65 RBIs as the Braves won the National League East.